


Star Wars: the Lost Times

by Jess168



Category: Star Wars
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Original Characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-11
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-04-20 04:30:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4773623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jess168/pseuds/Jess168
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A galaxy wrought with lawlessness is crippled and slowly beating itself to death. When pulled together by a force that cares little about their differences, will this group of fallen Jedi, former sith, and everything in between manage to pull together to be the saving force the galaxy needs?</p><p>An original plot line with familiar elements, but all original characters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Jedi Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet Shauna, Katha, and Altathar, all young Jedi studying at the hidden temple on Tython. Jaemri and Dilara wander their way to Tython, unbeknownst of the Jedi there.

Deep in the woods of Tython, the Jedi temple stood at the base of a hill, near a large lake. The temple was beautiful; large and grand, its marble walls and dark windows spoke of majesty and wonder. Gardens surrounded the temple, giving it a peaceful air, and allowing the temple to coexist with the surrounding landscape. A huge flight of stairs approached the double doors leading into the temple, which were kept open during the day, allowing free access to the peaceful gardens and lake. Two young Jedi Sentinels stood next to the entrance, guarding the temple.

The double doors opened onto a beautiful, large room. The high ceiling was supported by tall, cream marble pillars. Large windows allowed light from outside to pour into the room. Banners hung on the walls, bearing the crest of the Jedi, and other symbolic images from many of the Jedi’s greatest battles, boasting of the warrior people who inhabited the great building’s halls.

Hallways branched off from the main room, leading to the living quarters on the left side, and the training grounds, mess hall, storage, and the hanger on the right. The hallways were lined with more banners, but smaller, to compensate for the lower ceiling. The marble flooring was replaced by a thick, dark red carpet, and the walls were painted a tan color that complimented the color of the marble pillars and floors before. At the end of each hall was a beautiful waterfall and pond surrounded by potted plants, each sporting a different color scheme, representative of the lightsaber colors; blue, violet, green, orange, silver, and yellow.

 Opposite the main doors, an archway allowed access to two stairways, one going up, and the other down. On the floor above resided the council room, the archive room, and several meditation chambers.

The council room was large and well lit by a skylight above. The crest of the Jedi was painted on the floor in deep crimson, the council seats arranged around it, in a circle.

The archive room was lit by soft, warm light, perfect for reading. Several tables were set up for studying, with computer terminals near the center of the room. Shelves upon shelves were filled with informative texts, and near the back, holocrons were stored in force-sealed drawers, only accessible by those few Jedi trained to open them.   

For thousands of years, the temple remained a secret from the rest of the galaxy, allowing the warrior people known as the Jedi to train and grow stronger undisturbed. Steeped in tradition and strict believers in following the will of the Force, they grew strong, despite their secrecy. Eventually though, the plight of the galaxy surrounding them drew the Jedi from their secrecy. Keeping their true identity as discrete as possible, they spread out, trying to help the war-torn galaxy they saw before them, acting as much-needed vigilantes.

No sure government stood to protect the struggling worlds, and tyrants and criminals had their way with systems. Slavery was abundant, and poverty engulfed several smaller systems while the better equipped systems dominated. Wars and civil wars broke out between several worlds as desperate power struggles lead people to do things they otherwise wouldn’t.

Positive it wasn’t the will of the Force for the galaxy to be so war-torn, the Jedi made it their mission to fight the corruption controlling it, and establish peace, but their iron fist of justice and their one-sided views of right and wrong weren’t always welcome by all those they interacted with. Others, terrified by the mystery of the Jedi, began to hunt them. Still, the Jedi pressed on, concerned more for the future of the galaxy than their own safety.

…

In one of the temple’s many halls, Shauna Renaud, a young twi’lek woman, conversed with her fellow Jedi, Ardon. They were old friends; Ardon had been Shauna’s master, and they were still close. She found comfort in his wisdom often, especially now that she had an apprentice of her own, and found herself lost sometimes on how to train him.

“You’re serious? Three hundred thousand?” Shauna asked, dubious, her copper eyes wide with surprise.

Ardon nodded. “I was surprised too,” he confirmed. “It’s amazing how much they want us dead.”

Shauna shook her head, her pale yellow leeku swaying lightly with the motion. “And all the Jedi want is to try and keep the galaxy from tearing itself apart.”

“With the amount of people we’ve fought, we were bound to make some enemies,” Ardon pointed out.

“True,” Shauna agreed reluctantly. “Can’t they see we’re just trying to establish a better order of things?”

“Not if they’re on the losing side,” Ardon said with a light shrug. “Besides, most of them just fear our power. Some say it’s not right for any one being to have the abilities we do. Our mysterious ways and lack of clear loyalties make things more… difficult to understand.”

Shauna was about to comment again, when Altathar, her apprentice, approached from behind. “You wanted to see me, master?” the Pantoran teen asked.

She turned and smiled at him. “Yes. Now that you’re back from the apprentice retreat, I thought we could start up where we left off with your training,” she informed him.

Altathar returned the smile. “Of course, master.”

Turning back to Ardon, Shauna dipped her head slightly. “If you’ll excuse me,” she requested.

Ardon gave a slight bow, his dark robes swirling around him. “Of course,” he allowed.

Shauna started down the warmly lit hall, her gaze on the grasslands and forests outside the window. “What was that about?” Altathar asked as they walked.

Shauna sighed. “Someone put a bounty on Jedi. They’re offering three hundred thousand credits for the location of our temple, and another ten thousand for every Jedi killed.”

Altathar’s golden eyes widened in response. “Three hundred thousand? That’s a lot of credits.”

Sensing her apprentice’s worry, Shauna stopped and turned to him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she met his gaze. “Hey, we don’t have to worry. They’ll never find the temple; it’s why we chose this planet to build on. Nobody knows we’re out here.”

He didn’t seem convinced. He glanced down at his feet, once, and then back up to her face. “What about when we’re out on missions? Won’t they attack us then?” he wondered.

“It’s… possible,” Shauna considered as her hand slipped from his shoulder. “But they’re still going against Jedi. We’re trained warriors, with skills most people can only dream of having. We don’t have to be worried about any possible attacks.”

Altathar sighed. “If you say so.”

Shauna smiled. “You doubt me?” she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Altathar immediately backpedaled. “No, of course not, master. I’m sorry it seemed so.”

Shauna chuckled lightly. “I was joking, Altathar. You really need to learn to lighten up,” she commented lightly.

Altathar blushed slightly, his blue skin turning almost violet around his cheeks. “Joking. Right,” he muttered. Finally he seemed to relax a bit. “I guess we should probably get back to training.”

Shauna nodded in agreement, and started down the hall. Altathar followed her into the main room of the temple, and then paused. “Uh…master? Isn’t the training grounds that way?” he asked, pointing a thumb back down the direction they had come.

“Yes, but I left my lightsabers in my room again,” Shauna admitted as they crossed the room, heading for the hallway that led to the knight’s living quarters. “I’m going to need them if we’re going to train.”

Altathar seemed a bit amused. “It seems you always forget your lightsabers. I’m starting to think you’re leaving them behind on purpose.”

Shauna shrugged lightly as they arrived outside her quarters. “I am,” she admitted. “I guess I feel like I don’t need them when I’m at the temple.”

“Why?” Altathar asked as the door swung open and Shauna stepped inside. Altathar hesitated at the door, unsure if he was allowed in.

“You can come in,” she invited, and was surprised to sense how uncomfortable that made him. Trying to ignore it, she continued into her quarters, heading for her bedroom where she had left the lightsabers. “I don’t really like fighting. If I don’t have weapons on me, I’ll be more likely to try a peaceful route before starting something.”

“That’s… different. I’ve never heard of a Jedi that doesn’t like to fight,” Altathar mused, standing in the main room close to the door of her bedroom.

Shauna located her lightsabers; they were laying on a small pedestal, next to a mirror. Moving across the room to retrieve them, she called back over her shoulder, “It’s not like we all enjoy fighting, either. I just value life more than most Jedi. I would rather save a soul from the mess they’ve gotten into than kill. So if I don’t arm myself, I have an excuse to try for a different route.”

Altathar stayed silent as she grabbed the lightsabers and hooked them too her belt. “That makes sense… it’s an honorable cause,” Altathar complimented softly, surprising Shauna.

She paused, gazing at his reflection in the mirror, next to her own familiar one. “Thank you,” she responded softly. Suddenly aware of the building emotions in the room, she added, “Let’s get to training. We’re burning daylight!” As she turned away from the room, she noticed in the mirror that now she was blushing. Shaking her head in confusion, she hurried out of the room, slipping past Altathar and out of her quarters. He followed, uncomfortable again.

 _Why does this keep happening?_ Shauna wondered as they moved through the temple. _It seems impossible for us to have a normal conversation lately._ She sighed, deciding to try and ignore it, as she always did, and focus on training. 

After several hours of training with Altathar, Shauna returned her lightsabers to her quarters, and then wandered toward the mess hall. Her apprentice had headed to his own quarters to meet up with some friends for dinner, leaving Shauna alone. As they had trained, they had fallen back into their normal roles of master and apprentice, but the minute training was over, Shauna was left to contemplate what she had sensed while with Altathar earlier in the day.

As she ate quietly, Ardon joined her. “How is Altathar’s training going?” he asked as he claimed the seat next to her.

Shauna shrugged. “Pretty well. It’s hard to keep him from being a bit discouraged though; he’s so far behind most of his friends, because he didn’t come to the temple until he was eleven.”

“That’s understandable,” Ardon said with a small nod.

“We’re managing though. He’s pretty smart; I doubt it’ll take long for him to catch up,” Shauna added, surprised at how fond she sounded of her apprentice.

Ardon smiled slightly. “That’s good.” The too fell silent as they ate. Slowly, Shauna’s mind wandered back to her current concerns. Suddenly, Ardon asked, “Are you okay?”

Shauna blinked and nodded, clearing her thoughts. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Ardon raised an eyebrow at her, not convinced. “Shauna. I was your master. Even if you are no longer my apprentice, I can still sense your emotions, even if you try and hide them.”

Sighing, Shauna relented, knowing from experience just how powerful the bond formed between master and apprentice was. “I keep… sensing things from him. Things I don’t understand. Emotions. They worry me.”

“Like what?” Ardon asked, seeming a bit intrigued and concerned.

Shauna looked away, suddenly a bit uncomfortable. “He’s… He always treats me with respect, and obviously admires me, but… I’m starting to think it’s not in the way that would be expected.” She glanced at Ardon, hoping he caught her meaning. The look in his eyes was clear; he knew exactly what she was referring to. Feeling a bit relieved she didn’t have to explain further, she added, “I’m not sure how to handle it.”

“Hmm,” Ardon muttered, leaning back in his seat. “This is why the council tries to avoid putting an apprentice with a master so close in age. It just… doesn’t work out often. Do you want to talk to the council about it? They may want to change things.”

She shook her head. “I won’t give him up. I’ll make it work,” she insisted.

Ardon smiled knowingly. “I knew you were going to say that.” He fell silent again, thinking. “Then the best advice I can give you is don’t let anything develop until his training is finished. Then it isn’t forbidden.”

She nodded. “I wasn’t planning on letting anything develop anyway,” she commented. “I just want to make sure I can still train him despite how he feels about me.”

Ardon smiled slightly, a knowing glint in his eyes. “Of course,” he stated, but it didn’t seem he was totally convinced she was certain of her decision. He stood, and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’re a good master. That I’m sure of.”

 

…

 

The next morning, Shauna woke to the sound of a beeping holocall. Groaning softly, she pulled herself out of bed, wondering what time it was. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she used the Force to pull the small holodisk to her, and then accepted the call. An image of an older Jedi appeared. “Sorry to wake you so early, Shauna. We’re having a shipment come in on the outside landing pad in an hour, and I just realized we have no one to meet it. You seem to be the only Jedi free this morning. Could you and your apprentice handle it for me?” he asked.

“Of course, Master Kadar,” Shauna agreed.

“Thank you,” he replied with a slight bow, before ending the holocall.

Sighing, Shauna laid the holodisk next to her, and then realized she needed to call Altathar. After informing her apprentice of the new assignment, she dressed quickly, and met him outside his quarters.

“Ready?” she asked.

He nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever done this before,” he pointed out lightly.

Shauna waived her hand in dismissal. “It’s the easiest assignment on-planet. All you have to do is stand there and make sure all the cargo gets loaded off, quickly inspect it with the Force, and then sign the delivery sheet and send the pilots on their way—without any extra goodies, of course. They tend to like to snag things.”

Altathar chuckled. “Where is the ship coming in?” he asked.

“In the village, on the outdoor landing pad. It’s probably farming equipment or seeds or something of that nature,” Shauna replied as they started down the hall. Just south of the temple was a small farming village. All the occupants were related to the Jedi in one way or another; either their family members were Jedi or they were Jedi themselves. Those Jedi that were no longer able to fight moved into the town, staying close to the temple while making room for the next generation. Jedi with young children stayed in the village as well, until their children were old enough to begin training. The village was what made keeping the Temple a secret possible; they received the supplies for the Jedi, and grew food and made other important items for the temple.

“So it’s a bit of a walk, then?” he asked.

Shauna shrugged. “I guess. Nothing for a couple Jedi though,” she replied.

Once outside the temple, the two descended the stairs, and headed toward the lake. The large body of water was surrounded by cliffs, and a waterfall poured over the rocky sides into the lake. Near the watterfall was an ancient stone bridge, allowing quick access to the other side of the lake. A small dirt path could be seen snaking its way up the hillside beyond, wandering through the trees. Just before it disappeared from view, it split into two, one path heading directly south, the other slightly east.

Shauna crossed the bridge, Altathar at her side. Once she reached the split in the path, she stuck south, heading farther into the hills. It didn’t take them long to reach the village at a decent pace. Built in a circular pattern, in the center of the village was a small landing pad. The sun was barely rising, lighting up the little village. Most were still asleep, but a handful milled about, getting an early start on the day’s chores. A few waved as Shauna walked past, and she waved back.

“Do you have any family here?” Altathar asked.

Shauna shook her head. “I was brought to Tython as a baby. The council told me my parents are dead,” she responded, trying to keep her tone light. Altathar had no idea what a touchy subject it was for her, so she let the comment slide.

“My family refused to come with me,” he muttered, sounding bitter.

She shot him a look of sympathy. “I’m sorry,” she told him softly. She knew most families that didn’t accompany a Force-sensitive child usually had their memories of the child and the Jedi removed once the child was safely at the temple, so they couldn’t leak the temple’s location to outsiders. Even if Altathar ran into his family at a later date, they wouldn’t recognize him. _No reason to tell him that, though,_ she reminded herself, and then decided to change the subject. “Well, there’s the landing pad. We’ve got about ten minutes before the ship arrives, so let’s run over inspection rules and everything.”

Altathar nodded. “Let me guess, no live cargo? I bet people try and smuggle onto Tython a lot,” he mused. Even if the Jedi were hidden from the public, the planet had an air of mystery to those that heard about it, because its name wasn’t included on any of the star maps. Figuring something illegal or otherwise was happening on the forest world, some tried to smuggle their way to Tython when they discovered it, but were usually caught.

“Yup,” Shauna confirmed. “We also have to make sure the supplies are good. Don’t want to be ripped off. Some of these suppliers aren’t exactly honest.”

“How come the pilots never tell about Tython?” Altathar asked.

“To most of them, this village is the only civilization on the planet, and they’re just a bunch of colonists. The temple appears to be ruins of a much older civilization to outsiders,” Shauna explained.

“Ah. Makes sense,” Altathar commented. “So... it’s probably not a good idea to announce that we’re Jedi, huh?”

Shauna raised an eyebrow, wondering why he was asking such an obvious question, and then she realized he meant it as a joke. Smiling slightly at the failed attempt, she replied, “No, probably not.”

The two fell silent as they waited for the ship. Finally, the distant sound of engines could be heard, and a small shadow appeared before the sun. It grew larger, taking on detail as it slowly came closer. Eventually, a small cargo ship settled onto the landing pad with a sigh and a gust of displaced air, making Shauna’s cloak whip around her wildly for a few seconds. The loading ramp descended, allowing a handful of people to pour down it, all pushing cargo. “Let’s get to work,” Shauna commanded. The two Jedi climbed the landing pad’s stairs, heading for the growing pile of cargo crates.

Suddenly, Shauna caught the presence of someone unwanted, and knew the crates didn’t only hold supplies. _Altathar, there’s someone in the crates,_ she warned her apprentice through the force.

He shot her a surprised glance as his hand strayed to the lightsaber at his side underneath his cloak. Shauna reached for her own, ready for whatever she found in the crates.

The lid lifted slightly on one, as if whoever was inside wanted to look around without drawing attention to themselves, but Shauna’s Jedi senses didn’t overlook the change. Using the Force, she flung the lid off, revealing the girl crouching inside.

Realizing her cover was blown, she jumped out of the crate and started for the forest, but Altathar stopped her, moving to intercept her. Skidding to a halt, she flipped around and started for Shauna, and then realized she was surrounded.  She paused to think, and then did something unexpected; she turned back to Altathar, and reaching her hand out, she pulled his second lightsaber from his belt using the Force. Shauna’s eyes widened in surprise as she realized the girl from the crate was force sensitive.

Slowly moving closer, Shauna called, “You don’t want to fight us, girl. You have no idea how to use that. You’re going to get yourself killed. Just lay down the weapon, and come quietly.” The girl shook her head vigorously, her face determined, her hands gripping the lightsaber so hard her knuckles were turning white. After a few more seconds, she managed to ignite the lightsaber, its indigo blade alighting the early morning.

Sighing inwardly, Shauna approached the crates, still moving closer to the girl, as Altathar approached from behind. Just as Shauna expected, the girl wasn’t alone; as she opened one crate, a second girl jumped out of the crate next to it, heading for the forest. Acting quickly, Shauna jumped over the crates and caught the girl, grabbing her shoulder and igniting her lightsaber in front of her. The girl’s gaze widened at the appearance of the deadly silver blade in front of her, and immediately raised her hands in surrender.

Turning back around, Shauna called to the girl. “Drop the weapon, or I kill her,” she instructed coldly. Shauna could sense both girl’s fear, and felt a slight twinge of annoyance; once again, she found herself in a situation where violence was her first choice, when she would have much rather subdued the girls without injuring them. _I think I’m in the wrong profession,_ she grumbled inwardly.

Slowly, the girl lowered the lightsaber, its blade disappearing, and raised her hands by her head. With a signal from Shauna, Altathar strode forward, reclaimed his lightsaber with a bit of annoyance, and cuffed the girl’s hands behind her. Shauna did the same with her own captive, finally able to put away the weapons.

The Jedi led their captives to the prison nearby, where they would be held until their trial. The village council would decide their fate, after consulting the Jedi council. Deciding she didn’t want to leave the Force-sensitive girl alone until she was sure she couldn’t escape, Shauna sent Altathar back to the temple to explain the situation, while she stayed and guarded the prisoners.

The three waited in silence for a long while. “That went well,” one finally spoke; it was the second of the two girls. She had chin-length black hair, almond skin, and captivating, dark green eyes.

“How was I supposed to know there would be Jedi where we were going?” the other girl asked in annoyance. “I chose a random ship.” She was the taller of the two, with a slim, elegant build and a natural grace Shauna guessed was enhanced by her abilities with the Force. She had long, dark auburn hair, warm colored skin, and surprisingly dark eyes.  

Curious, Shauna approached the cell doors. “How did you learn of the Jedi?” she asked.

The Force-sensitive girl glanced up, her eyes defiant, despite the twinge of fear Shauna sensed. “I… overheard our master talking about it once. He… claimed to have killed a Jedi once.”

“Master?” Shauna asked.

Glancing down at her feet, the girl muttered, “We… used to be slaves.”

“Hey!” the other snapped suddenly, “She doesn’t need to know that. For all we know, she might sell us back!”

“Dilara! She’s a Jedi! She wouldn’t do that,” the first girl scolded.

Unconvinced, Dilara let out a snort. “Sure they won’t. You know nothing about the Jedi. Nobody does. Heck, we didn’t even know they were real until you woke up one day with strange magic.”

“It’s not magic, it’s the Force,” the girl muttered.

“I wouldn’t sell you,” Shauna promised.

Dilara glanced at her, looking uncertain, then turned back to her sulking. Shauna smiled slightly at the girl’s defiance, and then glanced back to her friend. She was surprised to find she was watching Shauna. She still seemed a bit nervous, but there was admiration in her gaze. “Tell me, what is your name?” Shauna asked.

Dilara started to protest, but a glare from her friend silenced her. “Jaemri,” she supplied.

“Jaemri. What _do_ you know about the Jedi?” Shauna asked.

Jaemri stayed silent for a long time. “Only the story our master told. He said the Jedi was trying to free some of his slaves when he killed him,” she finally responded.

“Then how do you know we are so good?” Shauna wondered.

“Anybody willing to free slaves is good in my book,” Jaemri explained, sounding surprisingly passionate.

Shauna nodded, and then turned away, mulling these thoughts over in her head. Soon enough, the village council came to deliver the girls’ sentence; they were to remain in jail for two weeks for smuggling themselves onto a private planet, and would be required to stay on-world for a year. After that, the Jedi would decide what to do with them.

As the next few days past, Shauna’s attention kept falling back to Jaemri. The girl had obviously been gifted. She couldn’t help but wonder if she could convince the council to allow her to become a Jedi. There was the problem of the other girl; obviously they wouldn’t want to be separated, and Shauna couldn’t see Dilara accepting a life as a farmer in a small, unknown village, just so her friend could become a Jedi.

Days after the sentence was delivered, Shauna heard the prison had been broken into and couldn’t help but about the girls. As more news trickled from the village to the templel, Shauna learned that all the prisoners were fine and still behind bars, except for one; Dilara. Figuring the girl had just found a way to escape, Shauna didn’t worry about it much. In fact, she was almost excited; without Dilara in the way, Jaemri would be much easier to convince to become a Jedi.

She brought it up to the council, and to her surprise, the agreed without much hesitation. All Jaemri had to do was complete their pretrial, and she would be allowed in. Shauna was even assigned the job of presenting the offer.

As the two week sentence came to an end, Shauna found herself heading for the small village again. She was allowed into the prison, where Jaemri was waiting just on the inside of the barred doors. Her dark gaze found Shauna as she entered, and seemed a bit surprised to find someone she recognized.

“Jaemri,” Shauna stared, “I couldn’t help but notice when I arrested you that you were Force sensitive. After the year is up and you can leave the planet, do you have plans?”

Jaemri sighed. “Me and Dilara did, but… she left me here,” she muttered, sounding hurt.

Shauna felt a twinge of sympathy for the girl, but continued. “Do you have family off-world?” she asked.

Jaemri made an indignant grunt. “Family? I was a slave. We don’t have family.”

“Then I have an offer for you. How would you like to hone your abilities with the Force, and become a Jedi?” Shauna offered.

Jaemri’s dark eyes widened in surprise. She was left speechless for a few minutes, until finally she asked, “Really?” Smiling slightly, Shauna nodded. “Of course I would! That’s so much better than any plans Dilara came up with.”

Shauna finally allowed herself a real smile. “Well then, come with me, I’ll show you to the temple. There are some requirements you must meet, but I think you qualify already. The council will decide if they will allow you to become a Jedi.”

Shauna led Jaemri from the prison, and along the forest path to the temple. She watched her as they approached the stairs leading up to the temple, waiting to see her reaction to the edifice’s magnificence. Jaemri stared upward, her eyes filled with wonder, a permanent smile spread across her face. Glancing away, Shauna smirked slightly, amused that newcomers found the temple so different.

She led Jaemri through the main room of the temple, and up the stairs to the council chamber above. The council was already gathered there, silently waiting for Jaemri’s arrival. “Come, child. Tell us your full name,” one of the masters instructed.

Nervously, Jaemri stepped into the center and quietly introduced herself, “I’m Jaemri Martel.”

“Jaemri,” Master Kadar greeted warmly. “Master Renaud tells us you are Force sensitive. I take it you accepted our offer to become a Jedi?” Jaemri nodded. “Good. We have but two requirements; first, you must swear loyalty to the Jedi, and after revealing the whole of your past, you must promise to leave old attachments behind youg, and devote your life to our cause, starting with your training as a youngling. Can you do that?”

“Yes, sir,” Jaemri agreed. “But um… do you really want me to recount my whole life to you? I mean, there’s things I don’t remember and it’s going to take forever…”

Master Kadar smiled, looking slightly amused. “No, you are correct; that would take much too long. The Force will reveal it to us, if you are willing, and it will only show the memories of significance.”

“I am. I have nothing to hide,” Jaemri promised immediately.

“Good,” Master Kadar said with a smile. “Sit in the center of the room, and we will begin. Shauna, if you would like, you can join us.”

A bit surprised, Shauna nodded, and moved to stand between two of the master’s chairs. She had never participated in such a ceremony; she had been too young to need one when she had come to the temple, and only full-fledged Jedi were allowed to observe other’s ceremonies.

 Jaemri went and knelt on the crest of the Jedi in the center of the room, her movements surprisingly graceful. _She’ll make a wonderful Jedi,_ Shauna thought again.

“Close your eyes, Jaemri, and quiet your mind. Let the Force guide us through your memories,” another master instructed. As the room dimmed, Shauna too closed her eyes, sensing the master’s instructions applied to all those in the room, not just Jaemri.

After a few moments of silence, a pale light appeared in her mind’s eye, and then suddenly images appeared before Shauna, starting with a young girl, about five, being pulled away from a woman very similar in appearance. Shauna’s heart ached, realizing this was when Jaemri had been made a slave. Other memories flitted past, sometimes pausing long enough for Shauna to make out the events. Some moments were good—like when Jaemri first met Dilara—others, not so much. _She’s definitely not seen a very good life,_ Shauna thought. Finally, another image stilled, of a young slave girl being led toward a dance floor…


	2. Jaemri and Dilara; Two Slave Girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaemri shares her past, she starts her training

Dilara watched from the barred slave door as Jaemri was led to the front of the room. She was dressed in a skimpy, brightly colored dancer’s outfit, her auburn hair in a long, ornately decorated braid down her back, a tight collar around her neck. The collar was designed to look like a necklace, but both girls knew it was used for much more than making Jaemri look pretty; the master was in complete control with that collar, able to discipline Jaemri with a cruel shock every time she disobeyed him.

Jaemri glanced back at Dilara, a knowing look on her face. Dilara gave her a pity-filled smile, before slipping back into the shadows of the slave’s quarters. Jaemri would have to survive on her own, at the mercy of the master. They were used to this; they had survived sixteen years as slaves, and nothing had changed, other than the specifics of their tasks. Besides, Dilara knew that there was a small part of Jaemri that enjoyed the dancing. As long as she was left to her own devices to keep the master entertained, she could dance for hours and not even acknowledge the world around her. There was a part of Dilara that envied Jaemri’s natural grace, but she didn’t mind avoiding being made to dance for the master.

After completing her tasks for the day, Dilara returned to the doorway to watch Jaemri’s last performance. When Jaemri was finally finished, she was led back to the door, which unlocked to allow her in. Once on Dilara’s side of the bars, the two girls fell into step next to each other. They remained silent until they were out of earshot of the main room. Once a safe distance away, Jaemri sighed. “I don’t know how much of that I can take,” she muttered.

Dilara glanced at her, feeling a bit sympathetic, but they all had their tasks. She wasn’t one to complain, and she really didn’t want to hear her friend complain either, but she would let her if it made her feel better.

Jaemri did just that; she lamented about the horrible night, the master’s constant nit-pickiness, and the stupid crowd’s attempts to entice her to join them off stage. After a while, Dilara zoned out. When Jaemri paused, glaring at her, she realized she had been asked a question. “What?” she asked, sounding stupid even to her own ears.

“I asked a question. Were you listening at all?” Jaemri questioned, resisting a smirk.

“Nope,” Dilara admitted readily, not a bit ashamed. “What did you ask?”

“I was wondering what it would take to escape this place,” Jaemri muttered, her words becoming whimsical.

Dilara shook her head. “I don’t know. Some slaves have died trying to escape this place. The master is not kind to those who try.”

Jaemri bit her lip. “I know… but…”

“But what?” Dilara pressed, one eyebrow raised.

“But what if there was a way I could guarantee we escaped?” Jaemri asked.

Dilara grunted scornfully. “Like you could really do that.”

“I might be able to!” Jaemri protested, becoming defensive.

“How?” Dilara demanded, her arms folded across her chest. She met her friend’s gaze, bearing down on her, wanting the truth. If Jaemri was joking about this, Dilara was about to give her a piece of her mind.

Jaemri remained quiet, her dark eyes distant for a long while. “I… I have powers.”

“Powers?” Dilara questioned sarcastically. “Come back to reality please. I don’t want to deal with a lunatic tonight.”

“I’m being serious, Dilara,” Jaemri snapped.

Dilara recognized that tone of voice. Rarely did Jaemri seem threatening in any way. She was so small and thin, with a dancer’s grace but no strength to defend herself. Dilara worried about her constantly, except for in moments when this side of her showed. She stood tall, just a few inches higher than Dilara, glaring down at her with dark eyes, her jaw set in determination.

“What could you possibly mean by powers?” Dilara asked, trying to soften the sound of her disbelief.

“Just what I said. Powers,” Jaemri repeated.

“That doesn’t really clarify,” Dilara pointed out.

Jaemri sighed, running a hand through her auburn hair, loosening the tight up do it was in absentmindedly as she thought. “I’ll demonstrate,” she decided after a few minutes.

“How?” Dilara asked.

Jaemri started down the hall, gesturing for her to follow. She led her to the slave’s quarters, which was currently empty. “Watch,” she commanded, and then turned her attention to the room. Her face scrunched up in concentration, and Dilara almost laughed. Forcing herself to focus on whatever it was Jaemri wanted to show her, she glanced around the room disbelievingly. Nothing happened for a few seconds, until suddenly, across the room, a crate was floating in the air.

“How…” Dilara muttered.

Jaemri relaxed, and the crate dropped back down to the ground with a small thud. She was panting slightly, to Dilara’s surprise. “I think it’s like the Jedi powers,” she told Dilara.

“The Jedi are just myths,” Dilara immediately rejected.

“Who knows? All I know is I lifted that crate with some sort of power,” Jaemri said with a shrug. “And I can do it again. I could lift the keys to our collars right off the master’s belt without him even knowing. In fact, I’ve done it before.”

“You have? Why haven’t you left yet?” Dilara asked incredulously.

“Because of you! Duh!” Jaemri deadpanned, slapping Dilara lightly on the shoulder. “And I only managed to lift it a little way before I had to dance again. I dropped it, hoping he wouldn’t notice, but he did.”

“So what makes you think you could get the keys now?” Dilara asked.

“I’ve been practicing,” Jaemri admitted. “I’m much better now.”

Dilara sighed. “It’s too good to be true,” she muttered.

Jaemri looked hopeful. “So… do you want to try it?” she asked.

Debating the idea for a moment, Dilara eventually smirked. “Hey, why not? Being dead is better than being a slave. And who knows? We might even get away.”

Jaemri smiled. “Well then, let me go change, and then let’s get out of here!” she said, her words a barely controlled whoop of joy.

“Hold on, you want to try tonight? Don’t you think that’s a bit… sudden? Should we, I don’t know, plan first?” Dilara asked.

“Don’t worry, I’ve already got it all figured out! Just give me a moment,” Jaemri requested. She disappeared into the back of the slave quarters, grabbing more modest clothes out of a crate. She changed quickly, and then rejoined Dilara by the doorway. “Come on, let’s go.”

Shrugging slightly, Dilara followed, hoping her friend knew what she was doing. The two girls slunk down a corridor, toward the door that allowed access to the slave’s quarters. Beyond, another girl was entertaining the master, taking Jaemri’s place. As always, his heavy keychain hung from his belt, sporting the locks to several slave collars.

Reaching a hand out palm upward, Jaemri closed her eyes, biting her lip slightly. Dilara kept her gaze glued on the keys, waiting for them to lift like the crate had before.

Finally, they moved toward them, painstakingly slow. “Can’t you go faster?” Dilara hissed. The keys waivered a bit, but kept moving toward them. Finally, they were in reach. Dilara reached out and snatched them out of the air, too impatient for them to get any closer. Jaemri glared at her. “What?” Dilara asked.      

“I could have gone faster, but I didn’t want to drop them. You breaking my concentration didn’t help either,” her friend quipped.

Dilara simply shrugged, unapologetic. Jaemri snatched the keys from her, and started trying the small disks in the key slot on her collar. Finally, one slipped all the way in, and the collar popped loose. She pulled it off, then handed the keys back to Dilara. It took Dilara a minute more to find her own key, and removed her collar. It was amazing to finally be free of it. Dilara couldn’t remember the last time she had taken it off; because they were water proof, daily tasks never allowed them to remove them. Only when the collars needed maintenance were they removed, and a spare quickly took its place until the maintenance was finished.

“What do we do with these?” Dilara asked, holding up her collar.

“We can’t leave them here; too suspicious,” Jaemri responded as she backed down the hall. “I figured we could bury them at the bottom of the dirty linen bin in the guest halls, or something like that. Something that would take them a bit to find.”

Shrugging, Dilara agreed, “Sounds good to me.”

After depositing their collars, Dilara once again asked what they were doing next. Jaemri led her toward one of the back doors that gave access to the gardens. “The doors are locked for the day,” Dilara pointed out. “We can’t leave without a passcode.”

“No problem,” Jaemri said with a shrug, lifting up the key ring again. “These have the passcodes. Now to find the right one…” Finally the door opened. Once outside, they hurried across the gardens. Dilara kept scanning their surroundings, expecting somebody to come out and see them, but of course they were all involved in the party their master was enjoying.

Without the collars, there was no way anyone would know they crossed over the property line. Still, when they reached it, Dilara and Jaemri hesitated. “I’ve never been beyond this line. At least, that I can remember.”

Dilara shrugged. “Me neither. Guess it’s time to find out what the rest of the world is like. What’s your plan for getting us off-world?”

“I guess we smuggle ourselves off. I didn’t think that far ahead. Heck, I didn’t think we would get this far,” Jaemri admitted with a shrug.

Dilara sighed. “Well, I guess that’s our best bet, because I don’t have any better ideas.” Jaemri nodded, and the two continued onward, stepping into unfamiliar territory.

They wandered around for a moment, lost in the forests surrounding their old master’s property. When Dilara spotted lights, they decided to head in that direction, hoping they would find a city. They found themselves in some sort of park, which bordered the forest. After a little more walking, the park paths led them to the edge of the trees, and the city whose lights they had spotted earlier.

“There’s not much we can do in the middle of the night,” Jaemri muttered. “Maybe we should rest.”

Dilara didn’t like the idea of staying in one place for too long. “I don’t know, Jaemri. I don’t want to get caught. The first place I’d look is this forest, and if they look hard enough, it might lead them here.”

Jaemri seemed to debate this. “Then what do we do? There won’t be any flights leaving the planet at this time of night. None that we could get on anyway. We don’t even have any money. We look like beggars.”

Glancing down at herself, Dilara muttered, “No, we look like slaves.”

“What?” Jaemri asked.

“We should steal some clothes,” Dilara responded. “We look too much like slaves in these old rags. There’s plenty of shops here.” When the master was feeling less than kind—which he often was—some of the more brave slaves would resort to stealing just to survive.

“None of them are open. Do you plan to break in?” Jaemri asked.

“Why not? It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve broken into something. If one of the doors have an older lock, I might be able to pick it,” Dilara suggested.

“Yeah, and set off every alarm in the building, alerting everyone to the presence of two escaped slaves,” Jaemri replied sarcastically. “Why don’t we do this? Find somewhere nearby these shops to hunker down for the night. We’ll keep watch, take turns, and then in the morning we can snag ourselves some new clothes and be rid of this planet.”

Dilara sighed. “I don’t think this is going to work,” she grumbled

“That’s exactly what you said about my ‘magic’, and look where we are now,” Jaemri insisted. “Just trust me, this’ll work.”

Despite grumbling something unintelligible under her breath, Dilara followed Jaemri as they maneuvered through the streets, looking for a place to hide. It quickly grew obvious that their options were limited. “Let’s go back to the park. At least there we could climb a tree or something, I guess,” Dilara suggested.

 Alright,” Jaemri agreed, albeit reluctantly as she realized their efforts were futile.

They backtracked to the park, and found a spot to hide much faster there. Once hunkered down, they waited out the night. The next morning, they began to plan their attempts to claim some more respectable clothes. “You distract one of the shopkeepers, I’ll snag some,” Jaemri suggested.

Dilara shook her head. “You and I both know I’m the better thief here,” she reminded Jaemri. While both girls had done their fair share of stealing, Dilara had become most of the slaves’ go-to when they needed something because she seemed to have a knack for it. “We don’t want to get caught. If we do, they’ll have us back to the master in no time.”

Jaemri nodded in agreement. “You steal then, I’ll distract.” With that, she stood and left the protection of the trees behind, heading for one of the open shops. Approaching the vendor, she started chatting with him, and then after she asked a question, he turned and started pointing down one of the streets. Dilara strolled over while he was distracted, and stood near the shop, pretending to peruse the selections while keeping an eye on her surroundings. When she was sure nobody was watching, she snatched a handful of things, in different sizes, then headed down the side street in between the two shops.

She wandered for a little bit, until Jaemri met back up with her. “What did you get?” she asked.

Dilara motioned her back into the cover of the trees, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. “A variety of stuff. Didn’t have time for sizes or anything, obviously. Just grabbed stuff.” She spread out the clothes, and allowed Jaemri to have her pick. Eventually, both girls found some to their liking, and changed behind the cover of trees, taking turns on lookout.

“There, is that better?” Jaemri asked as she rejoined Dilara, now wearing a slightly big black jacket over dark pants and a tank top. Dilara, who was dressed similarly—she hadn’t grabbed too much of a variety after all—nodded. “Good. Let’s find ourselves a ride.”

They wandered a bit farther, heading deeper into the city. Eventually, they found a spaceport. Biting her lip, Jaemri muttered, “How do we do this?”

Dilara shrugged. “Stick ourselves in empty crates? I don’t know. That’s what I’ve always heard.”

Jaemri groaned. “That’s going to be an uncomfortable flight. Hopefully it’s not long.”

Dilara sighed. “We’ve survived worse,” she pointed out, “We’ll survive this too. Come on. You choose a ship. Maybe your weird magic will help you pick a good one.”

Grumbling under her breath about how it wasn’t strange magic, Jaemri proceeded to scan the cargo ships available. Eventually she shrugged. “I don’t know, that one? There’s plenty of empty crates.”

After a grunt of agreement from Dilara, the two girls moved as inconspicuously toward the crates as they could. Slipping inside, they pulled them shut. Dilara found herself unable to move once the crate was shut, and immediately began regretting agreeing the idea.

One flight led to another. The girls couldn’t stay on one ship for long; food and breaks were necessary, and as the ship’s cargo lessened, they reasoned it would become easier to be spotted. They never stayed on one planet for long, too afraid to stay still. Once they were far enough away from their master’s homeworld, they decided the next ship would be their last.

Little did they know, the ship they had chosen wasn’t just any other cargo ship. The unmarked vessel was going to a quiet forest world, supplying a small group of colonists for the next two months.

As the ship touched down, Dilara felt her crate start to move off the ship. She bit her lip hard to keep in any protests she might make about how roughly the crate was handled; it wasn’t like the person moving it knew she was in there, and she really didn’t want them to find out by her making noise.

Finally it came to a stop. Dilara waited a bit, hoping Jaemri had made it off the ship too. Suddenly, commotion could be heard outside the crate. She was about to look out when she heard, “You don’t want to fight us, girl. You have no idea how to use that. You’re going to get yourself killed. Just lay down the weapon, and come quietly.” Even though the voice was muffled through the crate, it was hard to miss how cold and careless the words were. No doubt the person would carry out their threat.

 _Dang it, Jaemri, what did you do?_ Dilara wondered. She could only assume the worse. Before she had a chance to decide what to do next, her crate opened. Without a second thought, Dilara launched out of the crate, and bolted for the forest. She hadn’t made it far when a hand clamped down on her shoulder. She was pulled toward the hand’s owner, and then suddenly a wicked silver blade appeared in front of her. Heat radiated off the lightsaber, making Dilara flinch back. She raised her hands in defeat, not willing to risk herself against such a weapon, or its owner.

Her captor turned her around roughly. All Dilara could see of them was the pale yellow-skinned hands wrapped around the blade’s hilt and her shoulders. Before her stood Jaemri, an indigo lightsaber gripped tightly in both hands. Despite how afraid Dilara was sure she felt, she looked fierce standing there with the weapon in hand. Behind her stood a slightly surprised Pantoran man, another lightsaber in his hand. _These are Jedi,_ Dilara realized, recognizing their weapon of choice; it was always the one consistent thing in all the tales of the Jedi.

“Drop the weapon, or I kill her,” Dilara’s captor ordered, her voice devoid of emotion. Dilara’s heart skipped a beat, and she silently hoped Jaemri would give up as instructed.

To Dilara’s great relief, Jaemri slowly lowered the lightsaber to the ground, and then raised her hands, admitting defeat. The Pantoran snatched the lightsaber up, and then cuffed Jaemri. The silver blade disappeared, but the woman’s grasp never lessened on Dilara as she forced her hands behind her and shackled them together. As they were led to the prison, Dilara finally got a glimpse of the second Jedi; a twi’lek woman, not much older than the Pantoran, with pale yellow skin and light red markings on her lekku.

Once at the prison, Dilara sat in silence across from Jaemri, fuming. She took in her surroundings quickly, and immediately noticed the lack of escape routes; the prison door was a wall of electricity, and there was clearly no access to the lock from inside, so there would be no picking her way out. The walls were made of solid rock, and there were no windows. _Harsh,_ she thought.

Glancing at Jaemri, she noticed she almost looked like she was expecting Dilara to say something. Not really in the mood for conversation, she stayed silent, until she couldn’t handle the other girl’s stare. Finally, she muttered, “Well, that went well.”

“How was I supposed to know there were Jedi where we were going?” Jaemri shot back. “I chose a random ship. Our luck had to run out eventually.”

Still guarding the two girls, the twi’lek was obviously listening to their conversation, because she piped in at that moment, asking, “How did you learn of the Jedi?”

Jaemri’s gaze turned to the twi’lek. “I… overheard our master talking about it once. He… claimed to have killed a Jedi.”

The Jedi seemed to consider this for a brief moment, before asking, “Master?”

Turning away, Jaemri muttered, “We… used to be slaves.”

Suddenly self-conscious, Dilara snapped, “Hey! She doesn’t need to know that.” Feeling like she needed to give a reason for her protest, she added, “For all we know, she might sell us back!”

“Dilara!” Jaemri snapped, her tone scolding, “She’s a Jedi! She wouldn’t do that.”

Dilara snorted. She didn’t care what Jaemri thought of them, Dilara wasn’t ready to believe the Jedi were all good quite yet, especially after their rude introduction. “Sure they won’t,” she muttered. “You know nothing about them. Nobody does. Heck, we didn’t even know they were real until you woke up one day with strange magic.”

Rolling her eyes slightly, Jaemri grumbled, “It’s not magic, it’s the Force. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“I wouldn’t sell you back,” the twi’lek suddenly promised. Dilara glanced at her, then turned away, not sure she believed her.

The twi’lek continued to chat with Jaemri for a few moments, but Dilara found herself uninterested. If Jaemri wanted to be buddies with the Jedi, so be it. _I guess she doesn’t need me anymore,_ she thought. _With all her new friends, and these new powers of hers, she’s set. I’ll just be extra responsibility._

Eventually, the twi’lek left, and Dilara decided to rest. She fell asleep, her mind occupied on what would happen to her if Jaemri decided to leave her behind for the Jedi.

 

…

 

Jaemri suddenly awoke, a cold feeling sending shivers down her spine. Something wasn’t right. Glancing around, she waited for her eyes to adjust to the dark. It was easy to make out Dilara’s sleeping form across from her, even before she could see clearly. More details filled in as she waited in apprehensive silence; the cells on either side of them were empty, and had been the entirety of their stay. The door was still securely locked, leaving her feeling strangely relieved and annoyed at the same time. _It was nothing, Jaemri. Go back to sleep_ , she told herself, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. Suddenly, Dilara jerked awake, looking around blearily. “Dilara?” Jaemri whispered.

“I know how to get out,” she muttered.

“You do?” Jaemri asked, confused.

“Stay here. I’ll be back in a little bit to get you out too,” Dilara muttered, her words slightly slurred. She stood up jerkily, as if she had forgotten how to move properly. Jaemri watched, too unnerved to intervene, as she walked purposefully toward the door as if she intended to leave, despite the fact that the door was still closed. Suddenly, with a buzz of electricity, the door shut off. Jaemri just stared in awe, when suddenly for the first time she realized that the ominous feeling that had come over her earlier seemed to have taken on the presence of some dark being. She could sense this dark being just outside the door, even though she couldn’t see him. It left goosebumps rising on her skin, and an uncontrollable shiver of fear traveled down her spine.  

Filled with the sudden urge to stop Dilara, she stood and rushed forward, only to be slammed back against the cell wall, her spine smacking painfully into the stone. She tried to call out to her friend, but found she couldn’t speak. Dilara kept walking, toward the door of the prison. Without understanding how she knew it, Jaemri was certain if Dilara made it outside the prison she would never see her again.

As the prison door closed behind Dilara, the force holding Jaemri against the prison wall disappeared. Released, she fell to her knees, panting slightly. She hadn’t realized how short of breath she was until she was released. She stood and rushed for the cell door again, only to find it had reappeared in place. She barely managed to stop herself from slamming into it. “Dilara!” she yelled, but the other girl was already gone.

She slumped back to her bed, uncertain of what else to do. She stayed awake that night, too petrified to do much else.

 

…

 

With the memories finally caught up to the present, the visions ended. Shauna found that Jaemri was breathing hard, her arms pulled tightly to her body, her hands gripping herself so tightly her knuckles were turning white. The room remained silent for a small moment, before Master Kadar softly spoke, “You did not tell us of the experience in the prison.”

“It’s because I did not remember it,” Jaemri whispered. “I thought Dilara left some other way. Somehow I forgot what actually happened.” She paused, a haunted look in her eyes. “What was that presence I felt?” she asked.

“That, young one, was the dark side,” a master supplied, in a calm, almost soothing voice. Her pale gray eyes watched Jaemri with sympathy.

“The dark side? You mean the Force isn’t all good?” Jaemri asked, sounding fearful.

Master Kadar shook his head. “Of course not. Everything has light and dark. It is the nature of the galaxy.”

Jaemri considered this for a minute. “Do you think whatever I sensed took Dilara?” she asked softly.

“It seems so, but there is no way we can know for sure,” Master Kadar responded.

Jaemri sighed, “I hope she is okay.”

“I think it is time you moved on. You have a new opportunity before you, one you should not take lightly. It is not every day that someone is invited to join the Jedi,” another master suggested as he studied Jaemri with curiosity.

Jaemri nodded slowly. “Maybe you’re right,” she muttered, but Shauna could sense how much it hurt her to leave her friend behind.

“Do we dare allow her to join?” A new voice asked. “She has been touched by the dark side.”

“I do not feel she is a threat to us in any way,” Master Kadar contended. “She was not touched by the dark side, as the other girl was. She was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, and not by choice either; let us not forget that was a prison those events took place in.”

The dissenter glanced away, still looking suspicious of Jaemri, but didn’t protest further; Master Kadar had spoken, and though they held the same rank, the younger master didn’t dare challenge his elder.

 After another moment of silence, Master Kadar asked, “Are you ready to leave behind your past, Jaemri?”

Jaemri hesitated for half a second, before nodding. “Yes.”

And will you swear your life and loyalty to the Jedi?” another master asked.

“Yes,” Jaemri repeated, seeming more confident about this answer than the first one.

“Good,” Master Kadar said with a smile. “You will begin you’re youngling training immediately, then.” Turning to Shauna, he added, “Could you show her to the youngling chambers? We still have a few more things to discuss as a council now that her part in the ceremony is finished.”

“Of course,” Shauna agreed with a nod. As soon as she was sure the masters no longer required their presence, she started out of the room, motioning for Jaemri to follow. They made their way through the temple, heading for the youngling’s quarters. “I’m going to get so lost,” Jaemri muttered as she stared up at the huge halls of the temple.

Shauna chuckled. “The temple can be disorienting when you are not accustomed to it,” she agreed. “You’ll figure it out though. Once you’re familiar with it, it’s actually pretty straight forward.”

Jaemri sighed. “I hope so.”

Outside the youngling quarters, Shauna paused, feeling like she should warn Jaemri about what was to be expected. “You should know most younglings are much younger than you.”

“How much younger?” Jaemri asked, one eyebrow raised.

“The youngest here is three. The oldest, not counting you, is ten,” Shauna informed her.

“Wow…” Jaemri muttered. “Why is there such an age gap?”

“We like to take younglings in as soon as possible. Most come from the village where the prison is located, and can be brought to the temple as young as two years old.  Rarely do we find people outside our own numbers that are force sensitive, and it is even rarer that they are willing to commit themselves to the life of a Jedi. When found, it is usually much later in life, as in your case, leaving you to be an outlier in our numbers.” In an attempt to make Jaemri feel like she wasn’t completely alone, Shauna added, “My apprentice is in a similar situation.”

Jaemri nodded slowly. “That’s okay. It’s not like it really matters much. It won’t take me too long to finish my youngling training, right?”

“Hopefully,” Shauna agreed. “It’s different for everyone.” With that, she stepped forward, and the door swished open. Inside, a group of kids of varying ages sat around a woman a little younger than Shauna. From what Shauna could tell, they seemed to be in the middle of a lesson. Katha, the youngling’s teacher, glanced up. She then released the group, and walked toward Shauna.

“Master Renaud,” she greeted with a slight nod. “Who’s this?” she asked, looking to Jaemri.

“Katha, this is Jaemri, our newest youngling,” Shauna introduced. “Jaemri, Katha. Katha’s our senior apprentice. She’s currently working on her trials.”

Jaemri nodded, even though she looked a little confused. Katha dipped her head a bit in greeting, her long black braid falling over her shoulder. “Nice to meet you.” Jaemri gave a slight smile and a nod.

“So how much longer will they have you train the younglings for?” Shauna asked Katha.

She shrugged. “Until they see fit. The trials are so vague sometimes. I still don’t understand what it has to do with my trials.” She sounded a bit annoyed, but was obviously trying to hide it.

Knowing she wasn’t supposed to advise too much on the trials, but unable to resist, Shauna instructed, “Maybe that is your trial; to find the purpose of it all. Patience, maybe?”

Katha mused over this for a moment, and then nodded, “Maybe you’re right. Still, you know how the council likes to drag these things out.”

Shauna nodded, understanding all too well. It wasn’t that long ago she had completed her own trials. While hers had only taken two months, she heard others had taken much longer. Rumor had it the longest it went was a year. The council honestly wasn’t too hard to anger, but they were very difficult to please, meaning failure rates were low, but it took twice as long to pass than most felt was necessary.

“Well, if you want, I can show her around, get her settled,” Katha offered, motioning to Jaemri.

“I would appreciate it, if you could. I would like to continue Altathar’s training,” Shauna accepted. With that, she left the two alone.

 

…

 

Jaemri found herself back in the gathering lounge of the youngling chamber, waiting in the silence of the morning. She studied the alcove-like room, with its pale cream walls and soft carpet. There were a few decorations scattered about the room, mostly in different shades of blue. There were instruction manuals and picture books laying on a table across from her, all conveniently themed for training younglings. Next to the table, a hallway led to the quarters beyond. Her room, was among them, closer to the end of the halls. It was one of the few that were built to accommodate older students; the rest of the rooms, Jaemri had discovered everything was sized small, obviously built for children. At the end of the hall there was a nursery for the youngest members, which was currently unused. 

Despite what she had told Shauna, it was kind of embarrassing to be classified with such a young group. There were kids as young as three who knew more about how to be a Jedi than she did, at age sixteen. But obviously her situation had prevented her from being on the same level as them, so she managed to dismiss the differences, for the most part. When it was glaringly obvious how behind she was, she struggled a bit more.

Fidgeting with the sleeve of her robes, she tried to keep herself entertained while she waited. She was usually good at waiting patiently, but she had already been sitting there for quite some time, and with no way of knowing just how long it had been, she was starting to get antsy.

Finally, the door swished open, and Katha walked in. Jaemri stood, surprised by the sudden noise interrupting the long silence. Katha smiled slightly, looking apologetic. “Sorry,” she started. “When the council told me they wanted to discuss some stuff about my trials before I met with you, I didn’t know it would take two hours. I guess I should have waited and just called you when I was done.”

Jaemri shrugged slightly. “It’s fine. It’s not like I had anything better to do,” she told Katha dismissively. “Did you find out why they wanted you to meet with me?” The night before, both girls had received a vague message, telling them that first Katha needed to meet with the council, and after, they were expected to have a meeting together. About what, the message didn’t explain.

Katha nodded. “They’ve modified my trials. They want me to oversee your youngling training.”

Jaemri raised an eyebrow. “Really? Why?” she asked.

“Usually the Jedi who is assigned to the younglings will oversee the newest recruit’s training, until they’re caught up with the group, but she’s fallen ill. And you’re so much older than most younglings—no offense—it kind of complicates the usual training style. It’s tailored for much younger kids. But I’ve been working with the younglings for a while now, so I’m familiar enough with the program, and I’m close to you in age; it won’t be hard for me to modify them to fit your needs.”

Jaemri nodded slowly. “I guess you know why they stuck you with the younglings now,” she mused.

Katha seemed to consider this for a moment. “I guess you’re right,” she agreed. “I hadn’t thought of that. Hmm. I guess it’s possible that the council had the foresight to see that such a situation would occur.” After a pause, she added, “Well, should we begin? There’s a lot you have to learn, and the sooner we get you started, the sooner you should be caught up.”

Jaemri nodded in agreement, and her training began.


	3. Ghosts of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shauna meets her potential sister, and Jaemri's training comes to a close eight years after it began. She begins her trials.

_Eight years later_

Shauna sat eating lunch, her mind wandering through the events of the week. Snapping back to attention at the sound of the two shrill beeps, she realized her comnlink was alerting her to an incoming call. Quickly chewing the bite she had in her mouth, she answered, and was greeted by Altathar.

“Hey Altathar, do you need something?” she asked. Despite having finished his training two years prior, they still spent a lot of time together, so the call wasn’t abnormal.

“Yes, actually. I just helped a couple masters bring a group of younglings to the temple. Most were from the village, but we have two from off-world. One doesn’t speak basic, and she’s a twi’lek. We were hoping you could help us translate. She doesn’t trust the droids, and won’t talk to them,” Altathar explained.

“Of course,” Shauna agreed. “How old is she?”

“Thirteen.”

Shauna nodded, and then realized that Altathar wouldn’t be able to tell, so she told him she would meet him at the youngling chambers as soon as she finished lunch. Once she was done, she quickly made her way there.

She was greeted by the sight of ten or more kids, all of varying ages, grouped in the center of the entrance lounge, their eyes wide with excitement. Two girls near the edge stood out; one, a Trogrutan girl, with almond colored skin, burgundy markings on her montrals, and deep violet eyes. The other girl was a twi’lek, and obviously the reason Shauna was here. She sulked next to the Trogurutan, eyeing those around her suspiciously.

Shauna paused in the doorway, a weird feeling of recognition passing over her as she looked into the girl’s eyes. Her pale lavender skin only added to the effect. _I can’t possibly have met her before… she seems so familiar though,_ she thought uncertainly

Altathar joined her. “Sorry about this. The droids couldn’t get her to talk. Once we took her from her parents, she clamped up, and now we can’t get her to do much. The Trogrutan with her, Lonna, seems to have a talent for picking up languages, and managed to decipher a few words in her babbling, with the droid’s help, but it’s not like she knows enough to hold a conversation.”

“It’s fine. What’s the girl’s name?” Shauna asked, her gaze still glued on the youngling.

“Koyi.”

Shauna nodded, and slowly approached Koyi. Calling the girl by name, she attracted her attention. Koyi brightened slightly. “You look like papa!” she exclaimed in her native language.

Surprised, Shauna wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “That’s… interesting. Koyi, how are you?” she asked.

Koyi frowned a bit. “I know where I’m at. I wanted to be here. But nobody understands me. I can barely speak basic and nobody speaks twi’lek. I’m just confused and… kinda scared,” she admitted slowly. “But Lonna’s helping.”  She pointed at the Trogrutan, who listened to their conversation with interest but obvious lack of understanding.

"Okay Koyi. We’ll get everything figured out now,” Shauna soothed. She began to help guide the girl through adjustment, translating as the youngling trainer described things and showed the kids around. The more time she spent with Koyi, the more she felt connected to the girl. There was definitely something that drew Shauna to her. And her comment about her similar appearance to the girl’s father began to make Shauna wonder if they weren’t possibly related; she knew she had had a similar skin tone to her father, almost exactly the same. And, if she was remembering right, her mother had looked very similar to Koyi. _But that was so many years ago,_ she reminded herself. _I could be remembering wrong._

What got to Shauna the most was the girl’s mannerisms. She reminded Shauna of a thirteen year old version of herself, with only a few differences. Koyi was more stubborn and defiant than Shauna was, but she had the same fascination with the Jedi, and the same determination to learn as much as she could.

But she had to think reasonably. There were thousands of twi’leks in the galaxy, and although no two twi’leks looked exactly the same, some could look quite similar and not be related in the slightest. _There’s no possible way we’re related. It’s just a nice fantasy._

Almost as soon as she denied it, the Force told her otherwise. Unable to ignore what she sensed, she decided to seek out a member of the council as soon as she could and ask them about the child’s parentage.

She spent the next few weeks with Koyi, teaching her basic and translating for her when she couldn’t keep up. Lonna seemed eager to learn too, and though it was difficult for her, she quickly caught on to the language of Koyi’s childhood.

Eventually, Shauna felt that between Koyi’s knowledge of basic and Lonna’s ability to understand the twi’lek’s native language, the two would be able to manage without Shauna’s help. Feeling it was finally time to seek out answers about her premonitions, she tracked down a member of the council.

After asking of her suspicions, the council member seemed to study her silently for a very long time, making Shauna wonder what he was considering. “What is your interest in the girl?” he asked.

Confused why it mattered, Shauna replied, “I simply want to know. I’ve always wanted family.”

The council member’s eyes narrowed. “The Jedi are your family. You need nobody else. Forget about Koyi. Whether she was your relative or not, she is now a member of the Jedi, and ties to her family no longer matter.” With that, he turned away, leaving Shauna bewildered.

Certain that for some reason he felt it necessary to keep the truth from her, Shauna decided she would investigate on her own.

The next time she saw the girl, she asked her about her parents, even though they were told to not mention home and family to younglings, to help them not feel home-sick. “They told me I have a sister,” Koyi informed her, referring to her parents. “But she went away. It was a long time ago. I don’t remember her much.”

After that, there was no doubt in Shauna’s mind. Deciding she was safe to tell Koyi, she informed her. Koyi nodded, seeming to accept the idea, but didn’t say much to it. She did start to greet Shauna with _numa,_ the twi’lek word for sister. It seemed, after all the years of feeling like she didn’t have a family, Shauna was handed Koyi by the Force to fill the void she had always felt.

_…_

Jaemri wandered the streets of Naar Shadaa, in search of the small shop her master had sent her to locate. The council had heard rumors the shop had somehow picked up Jedi artifacts, and was selling them illegally. They had assigned her and her master to track them down and see their safe return to the palace. Rather than come with her on this part of the mission, he decided to see how Jaemri handled it on her own. She was approaching her trials, and he wanted to make sure she was ready.

It was surprisingly difficult to find her way through the crowded streets of the city world. She had never been to such a world before, not since her time before the Jedi. She was soon lost, but kept going, relying on the Force to guide her. It was amazing how quickly she had become dependent on her abilities. Sometimes she caught herself wondering how she had functioned before she had been awakened to the world of the Force. 

Rounding a corner she stumbled across an unexpected scene; two figures shrouded in shadow in the narrowest part of the street seemed to be in some sort of fight. Suddenly one got the upper hand, and backed their opponent up against the wall, not too far from Jaemri. Now bathed in light, she could make out the situation better. The man against the wall looked terrified, his gaze never straying from the woman’s face. Her knife stayed close to his neck as she interrogated him. Dressed all in black, with a thick cloak over top, the woman’s long black hair fell over her shoulder, hiding her face from Jaemri. She showed no sign of having any authority to act as she was, so Jaemri immediately assumed whatever it was she was doing, it was illegal.

Acting on instinct, she grabbed the woman by the shoulder and forced her away from the man. He immediately took off running. “Who are you, and why are you getting involved?!” the woman demanded.

Lightsaber in hand, Jaemri kept an eye on the knife. “You have no right to be treating him that way.”

Sneering, the woman reached into her belt, apparently to replace the knife. “I know you’re kind. You will regret the day you crossed me.” Her hand reappeared, now holding a lightsaber.

Surprised and a bit frightened, Jaemri’s heart skipped a beat. _She’s a Sith,_ she realized. Never before had she seen a Sith in real life, but she had heard plenty about them in her studies at the temple. They were known for being ruthless, stopping at nothing to get what they wanted. Many Jedi had fallen to the Sith over the years, as the two very opposite groups had clashed in the past. Right now, the Jedi had decided to stay out of the Sith’s way, to prevent extreme bloodshed, unless the Sith threatened the Jedi’s interests.

The Sith woman slipped into a fighting stance, about to ignite her lightsaber, but suddenly froze, her gaze locked onto Jaemri.

To Jaemri’s surprise, she relaxed a second later. The angered light in her eyes faded, making them seem more green than gold. “Jaemri?” the Sith whispered, sounding too scared to believe what she was seeing.

Suddenly, Jaemri recognized her. “Dilara,” Jaemri muttered, amazed to find that she was face to face with her old friend, after so many years. “You’re Sith now?” she stated bluntly, not trying to hide her disgust.

Looking slightly uncomfortable, Dilara shrugged. “I wouldn’t say Sith.”

“I didn’t even know you were Force sensitive,” Jaemri pointed out. “And now you’ve fallen.”

Clearly irritated, Dilara grumbled, “You make it sound so absolute. I don’t have to be a Jedi to use the Force, and it doesn’t automatically make me Sith if I’m not.”

“That’s not what I was referring to. Obviously you don’t have to be a Jedi.” _Though it is more preferred to being a Sith,_ Jaemri added to herself. “I was talking about what I caught you doing. What was it that man had? It obviously was something important, if you were willing to threaten his life for it,” Jaemri pressed.

“It’s none of your business,” Dilara snapped. “I wouldn’t have killed him. It was just a threat to get him to talk.”

For some reason, Jaemri had a hard time believing Dilara. There was something about the burning anger she had seen in her eyes moments before that made Jaemri believe Dilara wouldn’t have so easily restrained herself.

After a long, awkward pause, Dilara sighed, her smile bittersweet. “It’s been so long. You’ve changed so much.”

“Yeah,” Jaemri agreed, her tone softening a bit. “Eight years.”

Dilara nodded. “Are you…happy with the Jedi? Do they treat you well?” She asked, sounding surprisingly worried for Jaemri’s well-being.

Jaemri nodded. “I’ve never been happier.” She wanted to ask the same thing about Dilara, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what her daily life was like. Finally she asked, “What happened to you? I remember the night you broke out of the prison. How did you get out?”

Dilara stayed silent for a long while, and Jaemri wasn’t sure she was going to answer. Finally, she sighed, “I never meant to leave you there.” When Jaemri didn’t say anything, she continued. “My master—the man who trained me in the force—came and broke me out. He said he had some vision or something, and knew he was meant to train me. He said it wasn’t right for the Jedi to gain two members and his side none, so he took me, but left you, so it would be equal. He has some sort of strange obsession with balance. Anyway, he offered me freedom, in exchange for allowing him to train me.” Shrugging, she added, “I guess I didn’t see any other options.”

“So you went with him. I wished I would have been more aware of the situation. I don’t think you were in your right mind when you left,” Jaemri muttered, remembering the night in the cell all too well

Dilara snorted. “Leave it to a Jedi to see only the bad in a situation.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jaemri demanded. “You’re the one trained in the ways of the Dark Side.”

“I was given the same opportunity as you, just without the fancy temple to live in, and all the doting masters, and the luxuries you enjoy. Other than that, we’re the same,” Dilara insisted.

Jaemri shook her head. “We are not the same, and you know it. You would never see a Jedi threaten someone like you just did.”

Raising an eyebrow, Dilara mused, “Really? What about how that twi’lek Jedi of yours threatened me on the landing pad? She would have killed me if you hadn’t surrendered.”

“No she wouldn’t,” Jaemri demanded. “It was just an empty threat, to get us to back down. Shauna’s a good person.”

“I cannot see the difference between what she did and what I was just doing,” Dilara informed her. “What is it about the Jedi that makes them think they are so righteous?”

“We were trespassing. Shauna had a right to arrest us,” Jaemri pointed out. “What you were doing earlier was illegal.”

“Whatever. I see I can’t convince you, so I’m not going to waste my breath,” Dilara stated. She turned away as if she was about to head down the alley, leaving Jaemri, but she stopped. Sighing heavily, she turned back again. “Look Jaemri, I don’t want to be your enemy.”

Stunned into silence, Jaemri wasn’t sure how to respond. Clearly they had conflicting loyalties. _Is it possible for us to still be friends?_ She wondered. “I would rather not be enemies either. But we’ve definitely made it difficult four ourselves.”

Dilara nodded. “Maybe, when it’s the two of us, we can just ignore all the crap going on around us and who we serve, and just be Dilara and Jaemri,” Dilara suggested with a shrug.

Jaemri nodded slowly. “I think I could manage that, if you can.”

“Good.” With that, Dilara turned away and started down the alley. Jaemri sensed a ripple in the Force, and suddenly, the other woman was surrounded in shadow, barely visible to Jaemri. After a few moments, she disappeared entirely. Jaemri stared after her, part of her wondering if she hadn’t imagined the whole thing.

……….

Jaemri stood before the council once again. She couldn’t believe eight years had already passed since she had joined the Jedi. It didn’t seem like enough time. Now she was nearing the completion of her training, and they were about to assign her the first of four trails.

The trials consisted of tests that the padawans were all required to pass before moving on to their duties as full-fledged knights. There was a test of physical strength, combat, knowledge, and fortitude. Each test had a wide variety of options, and often events in their lives, things that the Jedi survived, counted as one of the tests. Because Jaemri’s training had finished so soon, they counted the knowledge portion of the trials complete. The next test she planned to complete was fortitude. It would test her ability to survive through difficult times, making the best of the situation handed her. It was important that she didn’t break under the pressure, and that she didn’t allow the events she dealt with to leave her emotionally compromised.

Staring calmly at the masters before, she waited for them to begin. Her own master, Nial Valorous, stood next to her. “We are ready to begin,” Master Kadar announced.

“Knight Valorous, your apprentice is ready for the trials?” another master asked.

“She is,” Master Valorous confirmed.

“Then let her take this mission upon herself, and bare it well.” Master Kadar pulled out a small holodisk, and with the force, placed it in the center of the room. Curtains covered the windows in response to more master’s commands, and the room dimmed as the holodisk activated. Faces appeared, with information listed next to them in basic.

“These are all victims of recent murders. They all held influential positions in one government or another. After their removal, the planet turned to chaos. Clearly these attacks were planned out to have the most negative effects on these planets. We believe they are being perpetrated by a Sith, one who particularly delights in causing chaos.” Master Kadar paused, allowing the information to sink in. “Recent threats against one of the Courascant Guard’s highest ranking members, and some premonitions in the Force have informed us that this is the Sith’s next target. Your task is to protect this man at all costs, and orchestrate the discovery and removal of the Sith perpetrating the attacks, using any means necessary. The Jedi are at your disposal. Use your resources wisely.”

Jaemri nodded. “I will, masters.”

“You should leave for Courascant immediately,” Master Kadar added.

Bowing slightly, Jaemri agreed, “Yes, masters. Thank you for this opportunity.” With that, her and her master were dismissed.

Stepping out into the hall, Jaemri sighed. She had expected the mission to be hard. Still, she couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed at the task at hand.

Obviously sensing her troubled emotions, her master commented, “You’ll do fine. You’re beyond ready for this.”

“I hope so,” Jaemri muttered. “I should get going. Courascant is a long flight from here.”

“Alright,” her master agreed. “Good luck, and may the force be with you.”

“May it be with you as well,” Jaemri returned with a small smile, before turning away and heading down the hall, toward the staircase. It didn’t take her long to reach the hanger, where a small, one man fighter was waiting for her. The Jedi owned several, and the council and many of the masters had their own personal fighters. For Jaemri, she shared the fighter with one or two other apprentices, depending on how many were currently being trained. Soon though, she would be sharing her master’s fighter.

She jumped up onto the wing of the ship, landing lightly as the glass dome lifted up to allow access to the cockpit. With a flip of a few switches, the ship powered up, and once she was ready, started upward, toward the starry sky above, and Courascant beyond. After attaching to the hyperspace ring and starting the hyperdrive, she relaxed back into the seat, settling in for the long flight ahead.    

…..

 

Dilara strode forward, making her way to her master’s quarters, her footsteps silent in the long, dimly lit hall. She watched the pattern on the carpet pass underfoot with minimal interested, her mind occupied by the recent events.

Meeting Jeamri had been an unexpected interruption in her plans. Killing that man had always been part of the reason for hunting him down, but the information he gave her was just as valuable. After running into Jeamri though, she found herself questioning her methods for the first time since joining her master. What Jaemri didn’t know is she had already killed a dozen or so people in her search for information, and there were probably more murders in her future.

She had come to accept life as it was as normal. The deaths she caused, she justified in her need for power over and control in her life. When she used the Force, it was the only time when she felt that nobody was in charge of her. That she was her own master. She yearned to learn more, and the only way she could do so was to keep her master pleased. That meant, if he wanted somebody dead, she killed. It was as simple as that.

But seeing Jaemri had weakened her resolve, and reminded her that at one point, she had had more of a conscience than she found herself with now. _Why is that? Why should she change anything?_ She wondered as she continued down the hall. _We all do what we must to survive. That’s all I’m doing._

Still unconvinced, she arrived outside her master’s quarters and knocked softly. In answer, the door swished open, responding to her master’s call through the force. She entered, moving to the center of the room. Inside, a large circular window allowed cool moonlight to poor into the room, bathing it in shades of cobalt blue, gray, and black. Her master stood to one side of the window, a darker patch against the light, his face illuminated on one side, in shadow on the other. “You have returned,” he stated softly.

“Yes master, with the information you requested,” she informed him.

He could no longer hide the excitement that burned in his eyes. “Good. Our plan goes well,” he praised. Then he turned to her. “But I sense some unrest in you. Did everything go as smoothly as I hoped it would?”

Dilara hesitated, wondering just how much she wanted to tell her master. She felt it unsafe to mention her ties to the Jedi, but she knew she had to tell him something; he wouldn’t dismiss what he had sensed so easily. “It was only a slight divergence in the location of one man that threw me off, master. In tracking him down, I ran into somebody from my past. It… wasn’t a pleasant meeting, and it has brought a lot of old feelings to the surface, reminding me of my days as a slave.”

He nodded slowly, taking in the information. “It is good to be reminded from time to time of the reasons why we fight. Do not let it bother you too much,” he counseled. She nodded. “If you feel capable, we should move on to the next stage of our plan.”

“Of course master,” she agreed, and turned to leave. They had already discussed the details, and she knew when it was time for her to go. Deciding not to dwell on the moral issues at the moment, she steeled her mind for what was coming next; more death at her hands, and this time more than just a common thief or mercenary would fall.

….

Landing on Courascant, Jaemri was greeted by a Guard’s representative and three soldiers. The representative bowed hesitantly, amazement clear in his gaze. “Thank you for coming,” he greeted breathily, barely controlling his excitement. “The Guard is waiting.”

Jaemri nodded, and followed the representative to Courascaunt’s government headquarters, known as the Guard tower. Set in the heart of downtown, the huge, mushroom shaped building gleamed in the sunlight, the long walkway and adjacent shops leading to the grand entrance giving her a marvelous view of the building. Not unlike the Jedi temple, the entrance opened onto a large pillared room, but here Jaemri could see onto the second floor of the building. The representative led her to an office down one hall on the right.

Waiting for them inside the room was an older man who looked like he had seen his fair share of battle, and could still hold his own if he needed to despite his age. He studied her with mild interest, but none of the usual fascination that accompanied the Jedi showed in his pale brown gaze. “So this is a Jedi,” he stated. Jaemri raised a brow in questioning, but didn’t respond. “I expected someone… older.”

“There are many of us, sir, but we are all capable warriors,” Jaemri responded.

“So I’ve heard. I’ve studied you all my life. Information about the Jedi is so limited, I was beginning to thing you were just myths. It’s good to know my devotion to you hasn’t been in vain,” the Guard informed her. Looking slightly hopeful, he asked, “You wouldn’t be willing to answer a few questions about your people while you’re here, would you?”

Jaemri shook her head slightly. “We contacted you because there is a threat to your life, one that surpasses the abilities of your security forces to deal with. Information is on a need to know basis, and I don’t intend to stick around long. While I’m looking for the person trying to murder you, I doubt we’ll be in contact much, and once I find them, it will be as if I was never here. It’s how we operate, sir.”

Disappointed but obviously not surprised, the Guard nodded. “Well then, I won’t keep you from your work. You have permission to act as you see fit while on Courascant. Just be careful, and, please, keep me updated. I hate sitting around in suspense waiting for somebody to shoot me in the back.”

"I will do my best,” Jaemri accepted with a slight bow. With that, she began to inform the Guard about the situation at hand, and who her prime suspects were and how she intended to move forward from there. Once he was up to date, she left him, glad the formalities were over. She hated dealing with those outside the Order. It was always so uncomfortable—the questions, the fascination, she hated it all.

Once out on the streets of Courascant, the hunt began. She had a few leads, and after studying the cases of the previous murders, she had an idea of who she was looking for, but still she felt like she was stumbling around like a blind idiot. After a week of no luck finding the killer, she began to grow restless. Knowing intuitively time was short, she wondered if her methods were all wrong. _Maybe it would be best to just protect the Guard, and let the killer come to me. That would simplify my life,_ she thought as she lay awake one night.

Suddenly a cold feeling settled over her, and she knew the killer was about to strike. Rushing from her room, she made her way to the Guard tower as fast as possible, sprinting down the corridor and into the building, ignoring the protests of the guards at the door. First she went to the Guard’s office, and when she didn’t find him there, she demanded the soldiers from the door take her to the Guard’s chambers.

Bursting through the door, she found the room in shambles, the guard slumped on the ground, either dying or dead, and a cloaked figure standing over him. Drawing her lightsaber, Jaemri ignited the orange blade. She felt a pang of regret as she realized who this murderer standing before her was, but knew she had to confront Dilara despite how much it hurt to do so.

Sensing the newcomer, Dilara turned to Jaemri, her crimson blade already ignited. She sneered, clearly annoyed by Jaemri’s appearance, and launched herself at the other girl. Jaemri quickly raised her blade to deflect the blow, the lightsabers sparking off each other. Dilara pressed her attacks, obviously attempting to kill Jaemri, a dark hatred burning in her eyes, not unlike what Jaemri had seen in their depths on Naar Shadaa.

They fought for a while longer, when suddenly Jaemri found her back against the wall, her blade the only thing between Dilara’s and her neck. Deciding she had to try reasoning with her, Jaemri demanded, “Dilara, stop. You don’t want to do this.”

“As a matter of fact, I do, Jedi,” she spat, pressing harder.

“What happened to being friends?” Jaemri questioned, trying to sound reasonable.

Dilara blinked, and then suddenly she backed away, panting. She shook her head, hard, and her gaze cleared. Knowing she should press her advantage and end the threat right now, Jaemri pushed herself away from the wall, but one glance from Dilara stopped her in her tracks. She looked so conflicted, Jaemri faltered, unable to continue with her attack.

Dilara’s blade receded, and she replaced the lightsaber at her side. “We need to stop meeting like this,” she grumbled.

“What did you do?” Jaemri demanded, gesturing to the Guard’s body. Despite how she felt about Dilara, she couldn’t bring herself to lower her own weapon. Not yet.

Dilara glanced passively at the body. “What I was ordered to,” she responded emotionlessly.

“Who ordered you?”

Dilara’s gaze snapped to Jaemri. “I won’t rat out my master.”

“Why are you following him?” Jaemri questioned.

Sighing shakily, Dilara turned away again, muttering, “Because it’s all I know how to do.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jaemri demanded, confused.

Dilara shrugged helplessly, obviously just as confused as Jaemri. “I thought I was doing what I wanted. But now I’m conflicted. Finding you again has made me realize just how much of a monster I’ve become… but… serving him, and the freedom it gives me? It’s the first time I’ve felt in control. I’ve learned so much, and I’m so powerful now. No one can stop me… I’m nobody’s slave now”

“You’re _his_ slave.”

Jaemri’s words seemed to hit a nerve, because Dilara almost seemed ready to attack again, but she relaxed once more, realization dawning on her face. “I guess you’re right.”

They fell into a tense silence. “I have to arrest you for this,” Jaemri whispered.

Suddenly terrified, Dilara shook her head. “They’ll kill me.”

“I have to, Dilara. It’s my duty, as a Jedi,” Jaemri insisted, feeling heartbroken.

“Then let’s just be Dilara and Jaemri for a moment,” Dilara requested, reminding Jaemri of their agreement from their last encounter.

Feeling her resolve fade, Jaemri put away her lightsaber. “How do I know you won’t kill again?” she asked.

“You have my word,” Dilara promised.

“That isn’t worth much. You and I both know you’ve always been a smooth talker,” Jaemri reminded her.

Dilara sighed. “I know. But I cannot allow you to take me in. Just say I got away. Nobody will know the difference. You’ll never hear from me again, I swear.”

Jaemri closed her eyes for a fraction of a second, debating her options, before muttering, “Fine. You better get going. The guards will be here soon, and if they catch you, I won’t stop them from taking you in.”

Dilara looked grateful, and then quickly disappeared out one of the windows. Jaemri couldn’t help but wonder how she planned to escape that way; the walls of the Guard tower weren’t built for climbing, and the fall to Courascant’s ground was one that was rumored to take days, if not weeks, to complete. Before she had long to consider it, the doors burst open, and soldiers dressed in Courascant’s uniform poured into the room. They moved to the body immediately, but Jaemri could sense that the Guard was already dead, now that her focus wasn’t trained on Dilara. The Sergeant approached her. “What happened?” he demanded.

“The killer’s dead. We fought for a bit. They fell out the window,” Jaemri lied. “I just didn’t get here in time to save the Guard.”

"That is unfortunate,” the sergeant muttered, and then moved away. Jaemri turned and left, knowing her need for being on Courascant was over. Heading back to the Jedi temple, she straightened out the story she planned to tell the Council. There was no way she could admit Dilara was the killer, or that she let her go free, so she decided she would tell them the same story she told the guards. If anything, it was theoretically correct, if Dilara made good on her word. _I just hope she didn’t dupe me,_ Jaemri thought as she started back for Tython.

…….

 

Dilara stumbled blindly through the streets of Courascant, heading for its underbelly and the darker parts the city world. Her master’s place was hidden among the crumbling underworld, far from the majesty of the Guard tower. Once there, she made her way to his quarters, caught in the same stupor she had found herself in the last time she had made her way there.

The door was already sliding open as she approached the door. “I sensed it is done,” her master said in way of greeting.

Dilara nodded. “What is to become of Courascant?”

“That man was the only one holding the peace together among the Guard. It will fall apart soon enough,” her master replied.

“So your plans are complete?” Dilara asked.

“Not quite. I have but a few more targets. Then true chaos will ensue throughout the galaxy,” her master responded.

“And what of me? You promised I could leave after that Guard’s death,” Dilara reminded him.

Her master turned toward her, his gaze burning into hers. “You are not yet ready to face the world alone, I believe.”

Feeling anger rise inside her, she demanded, “Who are you to decide?”

“The one that taught you everything you know. What were you, before me? Nothing. A lost slave girl. I gave you purpose,” her master sneered.

“And another collar to wear,” Dilara spat.

Her master shrugged. “I also gave you the power to break it, but you seem to dimwitted to figure that out. Or too scared.”

Rage overwhelmed Dilara, and before she knew what she was doing, she launched herself at her master, drawing her lightsaber as she flew through the air. His own blade met hers, obviously suspecting the attack. He cackled, then threw her away with a shove from the Force, grinning like a maniac.

He held her against the wall, where she struggled. “Finally! Now you know what’s been holding you back! You allowed me to make you my doting servant! Now you know that only you can give someone the power to control you. Never allow someone that. Free yourself!”

Letting out a scream of rage, Dilara broke herself from his grip, falling to the ground, and immediately climbed to her feet once again, ready to attack. They dueled for a while, and then suddenly found themselves poised to slit each other’s throats, neither willing to take the final blow for fear of losing their own life in the process. Her master laughed again, slightly more composed now. “Good,” he praised. “You have discovered your true power as a Sith. I release you, but before you go, I give you a name. Dilara is no more. From this moment out, you will be known simply as Darth Hayl.”

Pulling away, Dilara sheathed her lightsaber, her mind a whirling storm of emotions. “I’m…free?” she muttered.

Her master nodded. “The path you choose in life is yours to decide now,” he offered. “Only one stands in your way.”

“Who?” Dilara demanded.

“That Jedi girl.” Dilara blinked in surprise. Her master smiled at her reaction. “Yes, I knew of your connection to her all along. How could I not?” He paused, letting this realization sink in, and then added, “She weakens you, making you question yourself. She stands in your way of realizing what you could truly become. She reminds you that you were once Dilara. You must destroy that.”

Dilara’s gaze hardened, realizing what he was telling her to do. “Is it necessary?” she asked softly.

“As long as the Jedi lives, you will remain conflicted,” her master promised. “So who is it that you want to be? Dilara, a sudo-sith who doesn’t know how to control her own destiny, or a fully realized Dark Lord, whose very name sends fear into the hearts of even the greatest? Who answers to no one but herself?”

“I don’t want to be a slave anymore. You know that,” Dilara responded.

“Then who are you?” he asked.

Looking up, she met his gaze, her resolve hardening. “Darth Hayl.”

"And what must you do?” he inquired.

“Destroy the Jedi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took me so long. I was having a hard time deciding how I wanted to write the fight with Dilara and her master. The next one shouldn't take me quite as long.


End file.
